英语The Nightmare and the Dreams.docx
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英语The Nightmare and the Dreams.docx
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英语TheNightmareandtheDreams
TheNightmareandtheDreams
HowhasSept.11affectedournationalunconscious?
ByPEGGYNOONAN
ItishotinNewYork.ItissohotthatoncewhenIhadafeverafriendcalledandaskedmehowIfeltandIsaid,"Youknowhowdryandhotpaperfeelswhenit'sbeenfaxed?
That'showIfeel."AndhowIfeltalldayyesterday.Itishot.Wefeelasifwe'vebeenfaxed.
Ifoundmyselffullyawakeat5a.m.yesterdayandwentforawalkontheBrooklynBridge.Nowmorethaneverthebridge,withitssilver-cordedcablesanddensestonecasements,seemslikeagreatgifttomycity.Itspans.Inthechangedlandscapeofdowntownitisourundisturbedbeauty,grownevermorestatelyeachyear.Peopleseemtoloveitmorenow,oratleastmentionitmoreornoticeitmore.SodoI.It'salwaysfulloftouristsbutalwaysfullofNewYorkers,too.
Iamstruck,asIalwaysamwhenI'monit,thatIamwalkingononeoftheengineeringwondersoftheworld.AndIwasstruckyesterdaythatIwaslookingatoneofthegreatestviewsinthehistoryofman'screation,Manhattanatsunrise.Thecasementswerelikemedievalarches;thebusinessmenwithumbrellaslikeknightswithouthorses,stormingthecitywalls;andthewallsweresilver,blueandmarbleinthelight.
Andallofitwasfree.Abillionairewouldpaybillionstoownthisbridgeandkeepthisview,butIandmyjogging,bikingandhikingconfrereshaveitfornothing.Weinheritedit.Nowallwedoispaymaintenance,intheformoftaxes.Wearelucky.
Thesunroseinhaze,itsedgesindistinct,butevenat6:
30a.m.youcouldfeelitheavyonyourarmsandshoulders.WhenIlookedatitIthoughtofwhatRobertBoltcalledthedesertsuninhisscreenplayofDavidLean's"LawrenceofArabia."HecalledittheAnvil.
AsIroundedtheentrancetothebridgeontheBrooklynside,asmallmomentaddedtomyhappiness.Itwasdawn,trafficwaslight,Ipassedablackvanwithsmokedwindows.Inthedriver'sseatwiththewindowdownwasablackmanof30orso,acaplowonhisbrow,wearingthickblacksunglasses.Iwasonthewalkwaythatleadstothebridge;hewaslessthantwofeetaway;weweretheonlypeoplethere.Wemadeeyecontact."Goodmorning!
"hesaid."Goodmorningtoyou,"Ianswered,andfornoreasonatallwestartedtolaugh,andmovedonintotheday.Nothingsignificantinitexceptitmayormaynothavehappenedthatway30or40yearsago.I'mnotsurethefullchargeoffriendlinesswouldhavebeenassumedoranswered.
ItmademethinkofsomethingIsawMondaynightonlocalTVandthoughttopointoutsomewherealongtheway.Theywereshowingthe1967movie"GuessWho'sComingtoDinner?
"withKatharineHepburn,SidneyPoitierandSpencerTracy,theslightlycreakingolddrama--itwasslightlycreakingwhenitfirstcameout--aboutayoungwhitewomanandayoungblackmanwhofallinlove,hopetomarryandmustcontendwithdisapprovingparentsonbothsides.It'sheldupwell,andpartsofitseemedmovinginawayIdidn'tremember,andpertinent.SidneyPoitier,whohasalwaysbroughthisownnaturalstandingtowhateverparthe'splaying,hadalovelykindofsweetintelligence,andeveryoneinthemoviewasphysicallybeautiful,inthewayoftheoldproductionsoftheoldHollywood.
Therewasabitofdialoguethatpackedawallop.SpencerTracyasthefatherofthewould-bebrideispressingMr.Poitieronwhetherhehasconsideredthesufferingstheirmixed-racechildrenmighthavetoendureinAmerica.Hashethoughtaboutthis?
Hashisfiancée?
"Sheisoptimistic,"saysMr.Poitier."ShethinkseveryoneofthemwillgrowuptobecomepresidentoftheUnitedStates.Iontheotherhandwouldsettleforsecretaryofstate."Thosewords,written35yearsagobythescreenwriterWilliamRose,mayhaveseemeddreamythen.Butinitsaudiencewhenthemoviecameoutwouldlikelyhavebeenayoung,film-lovingArmylieutenantnamedColinPowellwho,thatyear,waspreparingforasecondtourofdutyinVietnam.Andnowheissecretaryofstate.Thisisthelanddreamsaremadeof.Doesthatstrikeyouasacornythingtosayandtalkabout?
Itis.That'sanothergreatthing.
LateTuesday,onasubwayridefromBrooklyntothenorthofManhattan,IresawsomethingI'dnoticedandforgottenabout.Itisthatmoreandmore,onthestreetsandonthetrain,IseepeoplewearingIDtags.WeallwearIDsnow.Wedidn'tuseto.Theyhangfromthickcottonstringoranaluminumchain;they'reencasedinaplasticsleeveorlaminated;they'rewornoneatatimeorthreeatatime,butthey'rethere.
Ipondertheexistentialimplications.WhatdoesitmeanthatwewearIDs?
Whatarewesaying,ordowethinkwe'resaying?
Imeanasidefromtheobvious.
Iimaginedyesterdaytherowofpeopleacrossfrommeonthetrain,lookingupallofasuddenfromtheirnewspaper,theirpaperback,theircrosswordpuzzlebook,andansweringoneafteranother:
"ItmeansIknowwhoIam,"saysthemaninblueshirtandsuspenders.
"ItmeansIcangetintothebuilding,"saysthewomaningray.
"ItmeansIamasolidcitizenwithajob."
"Iamknowntoothersinmyworkplace."
"I'mnotjustblowingthroughlife,I'mintegratedintoit.Ibelongtosomething.Ireceivearegularpaycheck."
"IhavehadabackgroundcheckdonebysecurityandhavebeenfoundtobeaSafePerson.Haveyou?
"
Iwonderifunemployedpeopleonthetrainlookatthetagsaroundtheotherpeoples'necksandthink,SoonIhopeI'llhaveonetoo.Iwonderifkidsjustgettingtheirfirstjobat17willeverknowthatinAmericawedidn'tallusedtobeID'd.Usedtobeonlyforpeoplewhoworkedinnuclearpowerplantsorgreathallsofgovernment.Otherwiseyoucouldbeprettyobscure.Whichisn'tabadwaytobe.
IworkathomeonmyownanddonothaveanID.ButIamconsideringissuingmyselfoneandhavingitlaminatedatthelocalHallmarkshop.Itwillhaveanicepictureandatitle--President,CEO&CFO.IwillwearitonthesubwayandwhenIgethomeIwillholditupinfrontofmydoorbell,whichI'llrigsowhenIswipethetagmyfrontdoorpopsopen.ThenI'llturntothefriendsI'mwithandwink."Iknowpeoplehere.Icangetyouin."
Amonthagotherewerenewsreportsofapost-Sept.11babyboom.Everyonewassorockedbynewsoftheirmortalitythattheyrealizedtherewillneverbeaperfecttimetohavekidsbutwe'reherenowsolet'shaveafamily.Ibelievedthebaby=boomstoryandwaitedforthebabies.
Thencamethestoriessaying:
Nah,thereisnobabyboom,it'sallanecdotal,there'snostatisticalevidencetobackitup.AndIbelievedthattoo.ButI'vebeennoticingsomethingforweeksnow.Inmyneighborhoodthereisababyboom.TherearebabiesalloverinBrooklyn.Itisfullofnewborns,ofpinksoft-limbedinfantsincottoncarriersondaddy'schest.Itisfullofstrollers,notonlyregularstrollersbutthekindthatcarrytwochildren--double-wides.Andtriple-wides.Inthestoresandonthestreetstherearebabiescooing,dribbling,staring,sleeping.Iseethemandfeelarushoftenderness.Iwanttokisstheirfeet,Iwanttomakethemlaugh.Kidsarealwayslookingforsomeonetomakethemlaugh.Thesightofanydogcandoit.Thesightofanotherbabycandoit.Thesightofanidioticadultcoveringhereyeswithherhandsandmovingherhandsawayquicklycandoit.Iwouldknow.
Idon'tcarewhatanyonesays,therehavegottobedatathatbackupwhatI'mseeing:
thatafterSept.11,therewasatleastaBrooklynbabyboom.
Adreamboom,too.TheotherdayIspokewithafriendIhadn'tseensincetheworldchanged.Hewastwoblocksawaywhenthetowersfell,andhesaweverything.Wehaveallseentheextraordinaryfootageofthatday,seenitoverandover,butfewofushasseenwhatmyfrienddescribed:
howintheofficebuildingsneartheWorldTradeCentertheystoodatthewindowsandsuddenlydarknessenvelopedthemasthetowerscollapsedandthedemoniccloudsweptthrough."Itwastotaldarkness,"hetoldme.Butthelightswereon.Theystoodinhisofficewearingwetsurgicalmasks.Theycouldn'tgoout,butinsidetheirbuildingthesmokeworkeditswayintotheairconditioning.SotheyturneditoffandstoodtheresweatingandwatchingonTVwhatwashappeningtwoblocksaway.
Didyouseethoseforcedtojump?
Iasked.
"Yes,"hesaid,andlookedaway.Nodescriptionsforthcoming.
Haveyouhadbaddreams?
"Yes,"hesaid,andlookedaway.Nodescriptionsforthcoming.
Ithoughtaboutthisforafewdays.Myfriendisbrilliantandbynatureadescriberofthingsfeltandseen.Butnotthistime.Ispoketoafriendwhoisatherapist.Areyourpatientsgettingextraordinarydreams?
Iasked.
"Always,"helaughs.
Sept.11-related?
"Yes,"hesays,mostlyamongadolescents.
Iaskedifhewassavingthem,writingthemdown.Heshookhisheadno.
So:
TheSept.11DreamProject.Weshouldbeginit.Iwantto,thoughI'mnotsurewhy.IthinkmaybedowntheroadIwilltrytowriteaboutthem.Maybenot.Iamcertain,however,thatdreamscanbeanexpressionofanation'sunconscious,iftherecanbesaidtobesuchathing,anddeserverespect.(CarlJungthoughtso.)
Torespectistorecord.Thereisaresponsefunctionattheendofthiscolumn,andyoucanuseittosendinyourSept.11relateddream--recurring,unusual,striking,whatever.(Ifyouareapsychiatrist,sendasmanyasyoulike--withoutidentifyingyourpatients,ofcourse.)Iwillreadthem,andappreciatethemandpossiblyweavethemintoapieceonwhatSept.11hasdonetoourdreamlivesandtoourimaginations,whenourimaginationsareoperatingontheirown,unfettered,unstopped,spanning.
Ms.NoonanisacontributingeditorofTheWallStreetJournal.Hermostrecent
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